Restaurant cover charge!

FlamingMoes

I'm from up north and recently took a trip to London. Took the wife to dinner at a restaurant in Leicester Square. When presented with the bill I saw a £2 cover charge!!

Although it's more the principal than the amount but can they charge this simply for 'eating at the restaurant' as they put it? There was no indication we would have to pay a cover charge and if they had told me I would not have eaten there.

Is this common?

vuvuzela

I agree that they should be upfront about this. However, if the food had been a pound more expensive per person, would that have put you off eating there ?

FlamingMoes

The food was already too expensive for my liking. The money isn't the issue, it's the fact it was not mentioned and just stuck on there. That combined with the below average service lost the waiter his tip!

PZH

vuvuzela wrote: »

I agree that they should be upfront about this. However, if the food had been a pound more expensive per person, would that have put you off eating there ?

So why not simply put the prices up - rather than presenting a bill at the end with "hidden" charges ?

This is the same principle as cheap airlines - lure you in with a price and then add the "extras" on at the end. :rotfl:

FlamingMoes

Exactly. I know that these charges are used in pubs and clubs but never heard of it in a restaurant.

fluffnutter

I think it's weird to charge for cover when you've actually eaten there! I can understand why restaurants might want a minimum charge per person or to charge for cover if you're just having a drink but as a separate charge on top of a bill for food? Bizarre. They should just put up their prices.

It's a bit like having to pay for ketchup sachets in chippies. I don't get it. Put the price of chips up by 5p (no one will notice), then you get the extra 5p on every portion of chips and the customer feels like they're getting a freebie sachet of ketchup. Win-win!

neilmcl

FlamingMoes wrote: »

The food was already too expensive for my liking. The money isn't the issue, it's the fact it was not mentioned and just stuck on there. That combined with the below average service lost the waiter his tip!

Are you sure there was no mention of it? Did you double check the menu, signs on the wall/till etc?

andyrpsmith

Cover charge must be identified on the menu and visable before you enter. If it is not identified you do not have to pay it.

Hintza

Is the cover charge not normally to cover your braed and butter etc?

FlamingMoes

It was not posh enough to have bread and butter! It was a steak house! I didn't inspect the menu as they had been taken away and I could not see it anywhere when we exited the restaurant.

neilmcl

FlamingMoes wrote: »

There was no indication we would have to pay a cover charge and if they had told me I would not have eaten there.

So that isn't necessarily the case then!